Introduction

        Each lesson will begin with Reading Skill Building based on your textbook – Guide to College Reading 8thEdition, by Kathleen T. McWhorter.  You will read the chapters and complete text exercises that will provide you with the foundation for strong learning. Next, you will explore interesting themes that will combine all of your language skills together to enhance your learning experience.  You will explore these themes in the Reading Room, Virtual Listening Lab, Communications Corner, and the Virtual Writing Lab.   

Week 1                 CHAPTER 1 - Successful Attitudes Toward Reading & Learning              

Week 2                 CHAPTER 1 - Successful Attitudes Part II

Week 3                 CHAPTER 2 - Context Clues

Week 4                 CHAPTER 3 - Word Parts

Week 5                 CHAPTER 4 - Dictionary Skills

Week 6                 CHAPTER 5 - Reading as Thinking

Week 7                 CHAPTER 6 - Understanding Paragraphs: Topics & Main Ideas

Week 8                 CHAPTER 7 - Understanding Paragraphs:  Supporting Details & Transitions

Week 9                 CHAPTER 8 - Organization:  Thought Patterns

Week 10               CHAPTER 11 - Organizing and Remembering Information

Week 11               CHAPTER 12 - Interpreting the Writer’s Message and Purpose

Week 12               CHAPTER 13 - Evaluating:  Asking Critical Questions

Week 13  BOOK REPORT – A COLD DAY IN PARADISE
                                         By Steve Hamilton

Week 14                   POLISHING YOUR WORK

Week 15                   FINAL EXAM

 

The Reading Room

       In the Reading Room, there are all types of interesting articles for you
                       to read about yourself, other people, language, and language history.   

Virtual Listening Lab

          This room gives you the opportunity to use your eyes and ears to learn about yourself and the world around you.   Available to you will be Internet audio and video links where you will hear uplifting and interesting scientific, historical, and  cultural audio and video about human behavior, language, and language history. Consider yourself a lab rat—where you sit quietly and observe, listen, and learn!

Communications Corner—Let’s Talk!

      Here you will be able to take what you are learning in this class and explore those ideas with other students, family, friends, and people in your community.  

Virtual Writing Lab

      In the Virtual Writing Lab, you will be asked to take the ideas from your thematic reading, listening, and communication experiences, and write down what you have learned in short paragraphs and compositions.

Virtual Classroom

      In the Virtual Classroom, you will be working from the textbook
                    English Brushup by John Langan and Janet Goldstein.  You will receive  
                    a virtual “toolbox” of grammar information so you can apply the nuts
                    and bolts of your writing craft to paragraphs and compositions you
                    create in this class. You will “polish” your writing to perfection as you   
                    move forward. Here are the chapters we are going to cover:

Week 2                     CHAPTER 1-Subjects and Verbs            

Week 3                     CHAPTER 2-More About Verbs

Week 4                     CHAPTER 3-Subject-Verb Agreement

Week 5                     CHAPTER 4-Sentence Types

Week 6                     CHAPTER 5-Fragments

Week 7                     CHAPTER 6-Run-Ons

Week 8                     CHAPTER 7-Pronouns

Week 9                     CHAPTER 8-Comma

Week 10                   CHAPTER 9-Apostrophe

Week 11                   CHAPTER 12 -Homonyms

Week 12                   CHAPTER 13-Capitalization

Study Themes

Theme 1

 The Road to Success

You will begin by identifying your own learning skills and abilities, which will help you visualize and create a successful college experience.

Theme 2                                          

Language Origins and Change

To know where you are going, you must learn where you came from.  Learning about your past will allow you to make the connections you need for a better understanding of your current learning experience.

Theme 3                                  

Language and Culture

Here you will continue to make historical connections to our language, but also learn how language is different for all of us.

Theme 4

 Good Health, Good Brains

In order for you to be successful in college, it is important to have a balance in not only your academic life but your personal life too.  Here you will get tips on how to stay healthy and happy during your college experience.

Theme 5

Communication:  More than Words Can Say

It is more than just what we say; it is what we do not say that can tell us much about our surroundings and ourselves.  Here you will learn how to use and recognize nonverbal communication skills.

Theme 6

 Virtual Vacation

In your virtual vacation, you will have great fun planning your virtual dream vacation getaway.

Theme 7

Controversy

Here you will read about various contemporary issues and be able to write your own informed responses to the interesting articles that you have read.

Syllabus | Course Calendar